Disclaimer and Warnings: Mentions Mpreg, Heats, violence, swearing, and Alpha Dominated Society!
Timelines and ages are slightly different. Different world from the original DBZ world.
Since I'm making up a lot of terms here I thought I'd drop some definitions.
Suitors:An Alpha who is courting a Omega. During the courting phase they are Suitors, after the pair has mated they are referred to as Mates.
Pillage: When a crew goes off to claim planets in the name of Vegeta-sei. A first Pillage and how well a crew does on pillages is a status mark.
Ranks of the Saiyan Warriors:
Third Class
Second Class
First Class- Also known as Elites
Captains
High Council:The High Council is a level between Captains and the King. They advise the King on troublesome planets and which troops should go to what planets. There are Six Council members total. Generally the position is passed down from generation to generation, unless circumstances dictate otherwise.
In This Chapter: Trunks' POV is finally added to the mix and as expected things can never go easy for Goten.
Alpha Royal
Chapter Seven: The Golden Glow
"Shit shit shit shit shit," Goten pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. It couldn't be true. He couldn't have a crush on his Captain, the Prince… Trunks.
It didn't take a lot of brains to list the reasons why. He was Trunks' subordinate, it would get in the way of fighting, Trunks could have anyone – anyone – and would never settle for an Omega who had broken one of the planet's most sacred laws.
There wasn't even a speck of a chance that something could happen between them, it was best if he swallowed that now and moved on.
Still, Goten couldn't help but shift at the thought of Trunks courting another Omega while he watched from the sidelines. Seeing the Prince give someone else his laugh, his scent, his cubs.
"Ugh," Goten's entire face pulled into a deep scowl before he buried it in his pillow. What was wrong with him? Never, never had he considered another Alpha for anything.
He didn't need an Alpha… but that didn't mean his body didn't want one.
Goten swallowed that thought and the whimper that threatened to build behind it. He reached towards his bed side table and fished out his suppressants. He took two, hoping they would work their magic and mellow out his raging Omega hormones.
As he set the pill bottle back in its drawer, Goten glanced at the clock. It was time for him to get up anyway. On today, of all days, he was not going to let an Alpha get in his way.
With that in mind Goten got dressed. Pulling on the cleanest set of armor he could find and taking a look at himself in the mirror. The Saiyan that looked back was different from his father and brother, his hair a little longer and unkept, his dark green armor reminded him more of his grandfather's old uniform. Goten smiled at the thought and turned to stare at the muscles he'd gained in such a short time. He knew he was still on the small side, but the signs of a real warrior were starting to show.
He smiled and exited the room. Just across the hall he saw Beet, eyes closed and arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. The other boy looked half asleep and startled awake when Goten approached him. "Oh," Beet sighed, "It's just you. I was going to wake you up if it seemed like you were running late."
"Are you alright?" Goten laughed as he watched his friend wince with each movement he made.
Beet waved him off, "I'm fine, Just hung over." His face twisted in a grimace as he stepped away from the wall and peeled open his eyes to give Goten a long stare. "You look just peachy though."
He had Trunks to thank for that. If the other boy hadn't insisted that Goten start drinking water early on he might be in the same state as his friend. He wasn't going to say that out loud though, and the sooner he got the Prince out of his mind, the better. "I guess I'm just lucky."
"Lucky my ass," Beet mumbled, "You bailed early."
"I had too!" Goten said, "I'm the one who's being tested today."
Beet huffed a weak laugh as they started down the hall. Goten adjusted to his friend's slow pace and answered the usual questions. "So are you nervous?"
"Has anyone ever thrown up during one of these things?" Goten joked in reply.
"Not yet, you can be the first." Beet smiled, "We all understand the feeling though. It's a big deal. The King is there, the Queen is there, All the Council Members are present, of course Trunks is…"
As the list went on Goten sent up a quiet prayer of thanks that both his father and brother were off planet for another two months. Though the thought of showing them the fighter he's become was pleasant, it would have to wait.
He couldn't even imagine how they would react. Gohan might be more understanding, but his father… the very thought of what he might do made Goten shiver in misery.
"I got you this," Beet said holding out two shiny red apples, "Don't throw them up."
"Thanks," he wasn't very hungry but Goten knew he couldn't fight on an empty stomach. He chewed on one apple as they walked.
When they came to a fork in the hallway, the demi siayan turned in the direction he usually went, towards the numerous gravity chambers. Beet shook his head and let out another weak sounding laugh as he stopped him, "Goten do you even know where you're going?"
A blank stare confirmed everything his friend had been suspecting. "I… was just going to go to my usual gravity chamber."
"Idiot," Beet said fondly, "You've graduated to the big leagues. Come on, I'll show you where to go."
A sheepish grin graced Goten's face as Beet turned him down a new hallway, "What would I do without you?"
"No need to flatter me Goten," Beet sighed, "I already know you wouldn't last a second in this place if I wasn't around."
Goten's tail curled tightly around his waist at the comment. A reaction to the tone in the other boy's voice. His instincts hummed in pleasure at the affection he heard there, but he didn't peg Beet as a potential mate, Leta neither. They sat firmly in the same category as an older sibling. Like with Gohan, he took their fuss and banter with exasperation, not interest.
That was the essence of an Elite Crew. They were a pack without blood ties. A functional unit of one. A family.
Trunks' words from the other night echoed in his head, "To my new brother…"
It shouldn't be too much to hope that the crush would pass, and if it didn't Goten would just bury it deep down to the same place where he pushed the rest of his foolish "instincts."
Beet led him down an unfamiliar tunnel, people were sparse and so were the decorations. Everything was sleek steel and cold. There wasn't much to look at until they finally came to a windowless door. Beet inclined his head in its direction, "This is where you go."
"I just… go?" Goten eyed the door, there were no guards stationed outside of it, or any other indication that it was anything special. "What is it?"
"Chamber 0001, meant just for this occasion." Beet explained, "You'll understand as soon as you walk in there. Remember this, they aren't just judging you on your fighting skills it's also how you handle yourself during this test." Dark eyes held a silent warning, "as soon as you walk in there. The test is beginning."
All Goten could do was nod as he continued to stare at the door. He felt Beet give his shoulder a friendly squeeze before the other saiyan left him alone. Hurrying off to where he could watch the test. Goten inhaled a lungful of air, urging his bubbling nerves to calm down.
This is it, he told himself, the first step to showing them all what you can do. Goten didn't spare another thought to the knot in his stomach or the cold anticipation that was building at the base of his spin. Waiting would only prolong his fate. Either he would leave the chamber as part of the Prince's crew or…
Any thoughts trailing after were given a ferocious shake. No, he would leave as part of the crew or not at all.
Goten stepped forward and the door slid open, welcoming him in without a fight.
"That's Kakorot's son?"
The room filled with hushed whispers as the Saiyan's watched the boy enter the gravity chamber. From the viewing room Goten looked small; his slender form was overshadowed as it stood alone in the grand chamber.
Trunks noticed the uncertainty in the other teen's stance, as Goten looked around before finally moving to the center and standing at attention.
"He's pretty scrawny for the son of an Elite fighter," Continued Paragus as he frowned at the window, the Captains around him snickered in agreement.
King Vegeta let out a low warning growl, "Did I say anyone could speak?"
Immediately the chatter stopped, as the room full of Saiyans jumped at their King's orders. Only one voice spoke out as Paragus gave a low apologetic bow, "No sire. Forgive me."
Trunks smirked at the reaction, watching out of the corner of his eye as Paragus' scarred brow narrowed angrily. As always, his son Brolly, stood quietly by his father's side, looking intently out the window. No one else seemed to notice the irritated tone that had entered Paragus' voice.
"That guy…" hissed his mother next to him as she followed Trunks' gaze to Paragus, "clearly doesn't know what he's talking about. Everyone thought Goku was small as well when he was that age."
The comment caused Trunks to smile as he looked beside him where his mother stood. She wore a familiar pout as she glared at the Council Member, hands on her hips, and her white lab coat ruffled from where she clutched it in frustration. Even though his father had told her to wear something more becoming of a queen, Bulma had shown up straight from the Medical Wing.
She was the only one on the planet who could shrug off the King's glare and reason to him with a simple, "If Goten gets hurt I'll be on ready to help."
It seemed like every Captain in the Academy had come to see Kakorot's mysterious second son in action. Squral's tall head was easy to spot among the crowd as he pushed his way to a good viewing spot. Not far behind him, stood Axal and Leta with Beet just settling at their side. Axal caught his gaze, giving a nod of recognition and a half smile that was meant to be reassuring. Trunks returned it before turning back to the chamber below.
The oldest Council Member, a Saiyan by the name of Eguse who had trained countless Saiyan's throughout the years including the current King, stepped forward and pushed a small button on the main control panel. His voice had a presence that was surprising for his old age as it boomed in the small viewing room and the main gravity chamber. "Son Goten, You are here today to be tested for the Prince's crew. The test will begin in two minutes if you are ready."
In the chamber Goten snapped to attention, looking more alert, more determined. His black eyes darted around the room searching for the source of the voice before looking up. His dark eyes scanned the window, taking in his audience as he answered, "I'm ready."
"Then we will begin," Eguse said, nodding towards one of the third class saiyans who managed the simulation and controls.
The third class went to work, filling the small room with the sound of his typing. The lights in the chamber darkened and a number suddenly flashed on the main control pad. 130x Gravity. Everyone could see the strain of pressure in the room, the way the whole area seemed to warp under the weight of the gravity.
Goten smiled and easily crouched into a fighting position, the change hardly affecting him.
"AI booting up," the third class stated, his voice filtered through the intercom, filling the chamber and altering Goten to what was coming next. Trunks watched in fascination how the younger saiyan tensed at the words, preparing for the fight.
"Test starting in 3…2…1…"
A sharp hissing sound filled the air after the countdown had finished. Goten remained in his defensive stance as he watched lights begin to swirl just in front of them. The speed and intensity of their movement increased as the seconds ticked by, slowly they began to take form. Molding into one mass before the bright light faded away leaving behind the AI opponent.
It was an Ice-jin, one of the creatures from Lord Freiza's race. The Ice-jin in front of him had armor covering its thick lizard like body the color of the sea while the rest of his skin looked like powdered white snow. The scouter Trunks had mentioned sat innocently on its face as it glared at Goten.
He had never seen a real Ice-jin before, only pictures of the royal family in his history books. King Cold, Lord Cooler, and Lord Freiza. They had once been the monster's that plagued the Saiyan Race, before King Vegeta and Goten's own father led the rebellion against them. Now they were nothing more than a scary story for cubs.
"Alright," Goten smiled as he assessed his opponent, "Let's do this."
It was like he had given the green light. The scowl on the AI's face deepened, turning to a look of pure hatred before it lunged forward. Goten easily ducked out of the way, moving behind the creature where he managed to land a kick against its back. He could feel his foot connecting to the boney spine as the AI fell towards the ground.
Goten grinned and jumped back putting the proper distance between himself and his opponent. He had expected it to be faster, more skillful even. Maybe all the training he had done really had helped, because the AI was not nearly as strong as he anticipated.
He watched it hiss as it climbed to its feet and move for another attack. This time Goten let it get close, his eyes on the scouter as he blocked each blow that was sent his way. The onslaught took a little more concentration but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
His hand snapped out, trying to grab the scouter before the fight could go on much longer. The Ice-jin snarled and slapped the limb away with its tail before kicking out and pushing Goten back against a wall. The saiyan made a quick recovery, jumping out of the way as the AI sent a blast of energy in his direction.
It was trying to put as much distance between them as possible, making it impossible for Goten to simply knock the scouter to the ground. He would give it credit for smarts, but Goten refused to just be shut out because his target was far away.
He charged forward, the Ice-jin increased the number of ki blast it fired at him but Goten managed to dodge and knock the blows away. He disappeared with a rush of speed and reappeared millimeters away from the AI's face. It's cold eyes widened in surprise as Goten made a second attempt for the scouter.
The move should have been quick enough, he knew he was faster than the AI, but suddenly an invisible weight settled over Goten's entire body. He recognized the feeling immediately, the gravity had been increased, just enough to slow him down. The Ice-jin grinned and ducked below his hand before rising a knee into the saiyan's stomach.
Goten gasped as the air left his lungs and the AI moved around him and pounded him into the floor. It let out a rapid fire of punches against his back, the least Goten could do was protect the most vulnerable parts with his hands.
The increase of gravity was a surprise but nothing he couldn't handle. It just meant the fight wouldn't be the cakewalk Goten had been assumed.
Something primal in him responded to an actual challenge and despite the punches still raining down on him- Goten grinned.
"Well it seems like the Prince gave this one the hint." Eguse noticed as they watched the fight carry on. A low murmur of whispers followed the comment that Trunks did his best to ignore.
He shrugged his shoulders coldly and tried not to look too interested in what was happening in the fight below. "Maybe he figured it out all on his own, you ever think about that?"
Eguse shot him a stern look as another council member laughed. "Fat chance of that if he's Kakorot's son."A echo of laughter followed after the comment.
Trunks made a fist but refused to let his annoyance show on his face. They didn't know Goten and clearly they couldn't see the potential that was right in front of them. At 130x gravity, Goten was moving without hindrance. In past matches the pressure had always been enough to add an extra element of challenge to the fight. Not to mention the improvement he'd made in such a short time.
They only saw his size and his lack of experience. When the Prince had first laid eyes on the black haired boy that was all he had seen as well, but he could admit when he was wrong and soon he'll expect everyone in the room to do the same.
A soft nudge knocked Trunks out of his thoughts as he looked up. His mother was gracing him with a knowing look and a gentle smile. "He'll be just fine son." The words were low, barely noticeable over the other conversations being carried on around them.
"I'm not worried," he answered quickly as he tried to copy his father's stony expression. Surrounded by so many powerful warriors he couldn't let any sign of weakness show. That was what was expected of a Prince.
Bulma nodded as if she understood everything that went unsaid and turned back to watch the fight. Trunks did the same when something caught his eye. The number displaying the current gravity had jumped up to x139. Then, before his very eyes it moved up another number. x140.
Trunks frowned at the figure, sure that it couldn't be correct. The gravity wasn't supposed to increase during the fight.
It moved up another tick. x141.
"Father," Trunks said immediately as the increase seemed to take less time than before. x142.
He felt every eye in the room focus its attention on him but his father took his time. Still watching the fight with building interest before his dark gaze slid away from the window on onto Trunks.
As always he felt uncertain under those sharp eyes, but as he had done since the tender age of five Trunks pushed the feeling aside and pointed towards the control panel. "Something is wrong. The gravity… it's increasing."
Silence filled the room as everyone looked. Eguse let out a gurgle of surprise, "That can't be right its already up to x144 normal gravity." The elder saiyan made a double take out the window where Goten still struggled to fight off the Ice-jin, "… and he's still fighting?"
"The gravity chamber is malfunctioning." Trunks asserted, "Call off the fight so we can fix it."
The King's face didn't move an inch at the new information. His eyes took in the continual increase of numbers before he turned back to the fight. "No," he said, "The fight will continue."
"What?" Trunks hissed in surprise.
"Vegeta," his mother said, sounding just as shocked, "He can die if you don't stop the fight now."
"A real battle is never called off." Vegeta barked, as Goten managed to grapple the Ice-jin's arm and throw him to the ground. Trunks noticed a rare curl in his father's mouth, almost a smile, as he said, "A true warrior always finds a way to win."
"Father," Trunks tried again, struggling to keep the plea from his voice. Instead he turned it to stone, the same way he'd heard the King do in the past. "You're the one who insisted I consider him for my crew. Well I have, and he's strong enough, but he isn't Kakorot. He can't win if the gravity continues to increase."
"Then he'll have to end this quickly," answered the King.
"End it quickly? He's already fighting above the normal range for an Elite his age. Don't you think its odd that-"
"Prince Trunks," Paragus interrupted with a stern command, "I believe your father just gave you his answer. Take his words and commit them to heart, because he is trying to teach both you and Kakorot's son what it means to be a Saiyan. Don't you agree Councilor Eguse?"
Eguse's eyes snapped away from the control panel. He hesitated before schooling his features back into place, "Oh yes. Like a true Saiyan, Goten should take on this challenge and overcome it."
Bullshit, Trunks thought bitterly as he glared at the council members. He knew a barb when one was whipped out towards him, he's heard it all from his father's council before. A true saiyan. Like he didn't understand what that meant because of the human blood that mixed in his veins.
His father was just being the same man Trunks had known his entire life. A man who never gave an inch and expected anyone who called themselves a Saiyan to do the same, but Paragus was twisting the words. Using them to remind the room that Goten was also a Halfling and a harder test would prove his worthiness of becoming an Elite.
Did he do this? Trunks stared at the man. For good measure he turned and took in the entire room of Saiyans. Everyone was entranced between the fight and climbing numbers. No one was smiling as they watched Goten struggle. No one… except one.
Squral, who wore a wicked grin as he watched fight, not the control panel.
A loud scream from the chamber below forced Trunks to return to the fight. Goten was struggling with the rising numbers, his speed had dissipated and his energy was falling steadily. Trunks couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless. He'd never cared before if someone lost his test, but Goten wasn't just a random Elite. Goten was…
He faltered over what came next.
Leta, Beet, Axal… they were his Crew, his family, but they still didn't treat him the same way they treated each other. Axal was nothing more than a body guard, and Leta and Beet had each other for support. From the moment he met the other halfling Goten had treated him like any other saiyan.
What they had ran deeper than the familial bond of a crew. It was blood. After all, Trunks only knew of two other halflings on the planet besides himself and he learned long ago that half saiyans were better off sticking together then fighting apart.
It didn't really matter what Goten was to him. Someone had messed with the gravity chamber and once the fight was over Trunks intended to find out who it was because no one messed with his crew.
Goten forced himself to move but his body was beginning to feel the strain of the increased gravity and his opponents' blows. He couldn't pinpoint the exact number the pressure had increased by, but it had passed the limit to what he trained to. While it affected him it didn't seem to phase the Ice-jin in the least.
The alien kept up its distance, using its long tail to knock him to the ground and its speed to dodge any attempt Goten made to get close. It was like playing a game of cat and mouse, but the cat was getting tired.
It was hard to breathe as the air around them got thicker. He found himself panting to get air, but the recovery time took too long. If he let his guard down for a moment the Ice-jin lashed out.
He knew he wouldn't be able to keep fighting forever. Soon the gravity would be too great for him to even move. If Goten didn't end the fight now, he wouldn't be the one to end it at all.
His body climbed into a sturdy position, feet planted firmly on the ground with his arms up to guard. Speed wasn't on his side anymore, so he would need the Ice-jin to come to him. Taking one last solid gulp of air he lowered his guard, just a enough to be believable.
As expected, the AI took advantage of his weakness. It charged at him, preparing to land a hard and final blow. When it was inches away from Goten's body he brought his guard back up, using every bit of speed he could manage to block the AI's punch and grab the creature's wrist.
The Ice-jin struggled against his hold but Goten forced himself to hang on, knowing this was possibly his only chance at winning. He could see the worry in the alien's eyes as it planted a foot in his side and tried to push off. Goten dug his nails into its tough skin for more leverage before he attempted to reach out.
His muscles shook as they struggled to keep his opponent subdued, he even managed to pull it a little closer. The AI howled at the movement and shifted his head, trying to protect the scouter. But Goten was too close. He grabbed the device and threw it off to the corner of the room.
The Ice-jin screamed in his ear as he pointed his hand in the direction of the scouter and fired a ki blast. On impact a small explosion charred the sides of the wall, the remains of the scouter went ablaze before it disappeared in a shimmer of light.
Goten relaxed at the sight and the AI in his arms froze. A moment passed, and the increased gravity didn't lift from the room, the lights didn't return to normal, and the AI didn't disappear.
Goten blinked, unsure of what to do. Something thudded above him and he looked up towards the viewing window where he could make out a blurry figures knocking on the glass. Standing behind them, he could see Trunks. The wide eyed look on the Prince's face was the first clue that something wasn't right.
Then the AI broke free from his arms. Goten scrambled to keep it in place but his lax state had been the only opening it needed. Before he could wrestle his arms around it, the Ice-jin slapped its tail across his face with enough force to send Goten flying to the other side of the room.
Metal walls bent under the force of his impact as Goten felt his head slam back against the hard surface. His muscles slumped as he fell against the wall, dazed and confused. A cool liquid trickled down his neck and down his back, his keen Saiyan nose smelled the metallic scent of blood. Through blurry eyes he could see the AI approaching him slowly.
The roles were suddenly reversed, now Goten was the mouse and the cat was stalking its prey. Claws sharp and ready to end their little game.
"He destroyed the scouter," Trunks snapped at the third class who hovered over the control panel, "Why isn't it shutting down?"
"I-I don't know sir," stuttered the third class as he relentlessly typed away at the keyboard. A flashing red light warned of a system error. Next to the error message the Gravity continued to increase. x162. Soon it would surpass even the Prince's limited.
He looked back down into the chamber and saw Goten leaning against the wall, not moving. He gritted his teeth as his mother shouted behind him, "Well someone needs to do something!"
The third class was suddenly shoved out of his seat as the blue haired woman took control. Her fingers flew over the key pad, bringing up several windows of code that her eyes quickly scanned. Trunks watched as his mother, his heart hammered against his chest as she worked quickly, but would it be fast enough?
Bulma sucked in a sharp breath as she looked at the screen, "This is all wrong," She whirled [inning the King with large blue eyes, "It's going to take too while for me to fix the code. You're the only one who can go in there and stop it."
Vegeta scowled but Bulma immediately jumped on the look, "If you want to tell Goku why his son is dead when he gets back by all means continue to just stand there."
Trunks gawked, it wasn't as if he'd never seen his parents fight before but never in the public eye. Even his mother knew there were some lines not to be crossed in Saiyan culture. He stared at his father, curious to what the other man would do. If he didn't move soon Trunks would.
A metallic clang from below reminded them all that the AI was still pounding on Goten. Trunks risked looked down and saw the Halfling being held up by the neck, weakly struggling to loosen the grip. It was a miracle Goten was still conscious but if they didn't move quick…
"Trunks follow me," came his father's gruff command as he started for the exit. Trunks pushed away from the window and quickly followed after him, praying for Goten to hang on for just a little longer.
Goten had always wondered what a warrior's death was like. It was all they talked about in Omega School, how The Great King Vegeta, father to the current King, had died a warrior's death at the hands of Freiza. How a saiyan could only truly be happy with a warrior's death. The greatest honor on the planet, the way nearly 30% of Alpha's had died during the time of Freiza's tyranny.
Death on the battle field.
He wondered now if he would have a warrior's death? Not on the battlefield, but in the hot pit of Chamber 0001. Dying trying to become a part of the Prince's crew. Was this his punishment for lying?
Somehow his mind held that question on repeat. Refusing to let go. Punishment. Punishment. This is your punishment. You're a Liar.
He felt the Ice-jin's claws curl around his neck and squeeze. Every muscle in his body jolted to try and pry the grip away from his throat, but they were too heavy. He couldn't move. Could barely breathe, all it would take was the slightest amount of pressure and he would black out.
God. He'd wanted to show his father how strong he was, not tack on another death in the family.
You were never going to amount to anything. Face it. You're out of your league. His mind hissed. It was angry at the whole situation, angry at him for getting in the mess in the first place. In his delirium it felt like the AI was hissing the words. Just die already. You were never going to amount to anything, a failure as an Omega and an Alpha.
Goten gritted his teeth against the hurtful words. He felt the sting of tears threaten to fall but with his remaining strength he fought them back. He refused to die with tears running down his face. It was the least he could do.
You're just going to die? Somehow the voice took the tone of his father, surprise gripped Goten as he stared into the cool eyes of the Ice-jin. Kakorot's voice echoed out of it and into his head. Now not only are you insulting yourself but you're hurting the family name. Son of Kakorot, dying while in training…
No. Goten gasped for air and struggled to hold on to consciousness, he just wanted someone to be proud of him. To do right. Why couldn't he be stronger?
At least when you die it'll be one less thing to worry about.
His father had never said those words to him but Goten had always suspected that if he died no one would miss him. No one even knew about the Omega son of Kakorot, no one would care, but now…
Now he had friends. Leta, Beet, even Axal would surely say something nice about him if he died. Trunks… Trunks would miss him. He didn't doubt that for a second.
His father's voice still slithered under his skin, trying to talk him into giving him. Into dying. Goten took that voice, held it close to his heart for the briefest of seconds before shoving it away. A growl bubbled up his throat as he shoved the negativity down where it would never crop up again. No matter what that inner voice said, it was wrong. Goten knew people counted on him, knew his family would miss him. He couldn't die… didn't want to die…
He wanted to win.
The tears leaked down his cheeks as he closed his eyes tightly and screamed. A rush of power filled his body, his dead muscles were suddenly alive again. His aura woke up, flaring out like a burning fire, surrounding him in a protective cocoon that pushed the AI away.
Goten couldn't remember ever feeling so powerful. Slowly his aura started to reach out, crawling across the floor until it filled the entire room. He could no longer feel the stifling gravity of the chamber, all Goten saw was a bright light, a golden light.
The walls cracked around him, lights flickered as both the ground and the ceiling started to cave in.
Just as quickly as it came the power became too much. It still seeked to fill his body but his muscles were spent unable to do anything more. The power began to tear them apart. Ripping him in two from the inside out. Goten let out another startled scream as it continued to pour out of him. Threatening the structure around him.
He couldn't control it. Something had broken inside of him and now there was no stopping it.
The sharp noise of the door sliding open echoed like an alarm. Followed by a distant cry, "Goten!"
His racing heart stopped. He recognized that voice, the name alone came with a flood of relief. Trunks.
He knew Trunks would care...
And like magic, the power cut off and he gave into the darkness.
Trunks knew the glowing light that greeted him in Chamber 0001. He hesitated for only a second, basking in its raw power before stepping into the space. The Gravity had somehow stopped and the AI was nowhere in sight. The only threatening thing in the room was Goten's overwhelming power.
He called out, trying to get the teen's attention, "Goten!"
Through the light he saw a body, standing rigid as the saiyan screamed. Trunks realized suddenly what was going on, the first transformation into a Super saiyan was always the hardest. Always a disaster as the power threatened to devour its host. He screamed louder, hoping to bring Goten back to himself with just the simple name, "Goten!"
Like magic, the power cut off. The entire room shifted as the golden glow disappeared leaving behind all its destruction. Trunks could finally see the crumbled state of the Chamber, the wires that hung limply from the ceiling and the large cracks in the metal walls. Goten had destroyed the chamber to survive it.
Now the teen laid lifelessly on the ground.
Trunks fought down the urge to rush to his side, fully aware of the audience that was still watching. He tried to show restraint while walking forward and kneeling next to the unmoving body.
Reaching out he checking the pulse along Goten's neck. It was quiet but there. Relief flooded through Trunks and he let out a exhale that he hadn't even noticed holding.
Looking up towards the viewing window he saw a huddle of saiyan's trying to see the results of the battle. Shock and grim scowls decorated many faces. They weren't concerned for Goten's well being, just interested to see if the teen was dead or alive.
Trunks wouldn't reward them with a answer. He turned to the body next to him and assessed the rest of Goten's injuries. A ugly gash was cut into the back of his head, drenching the Prince's hand with blood, and numerous smaller injuries decorated his skin. The internal injuries would need a proper doctor to look at them.
A pair of sharp white boots stepped next to him. Trunks looked up towards his father, surprised to see the man was no longer scowling. Instead the King's mouth was quirked up in an arrogant smirk, his arms were crossed over his chest as he peered down at the two halflings. "See?" he said, "A warrior always finds a way to win."
The muscles in Trunks' mouth worked to keep his jaw from dropping. He shouldn't be surprised, not by this, and not by the man who had ordered his toughest Captains to send Gohan to the medical wing simply to see how Trunks would react. No, he shouldn't be surprised but he still felt betrayed.
"Did you..." he kept his voice low, not wanting the other saiyan's in the viewing room to hear his anger.
His father had the gall to look proud of himself. "Kakorot's son has proven himself strong enough to join your crew. Take him to the Medical Wing and I'll come and have a word with both of you once he's awake."
Author's Note: I decided to leave my note at the end this time. Thank you everyone for all the reviews! I was so shocked by the amount of cheering, worry and thoughtful questions that were there. Let me take some time to encourage everyone to keep letting me know what you think in the reviews (don't be shy!) I love to reply when I can. If you're anonymous I sadly can't PM you back but I can answer some of the questions there.
Someone was wondering how many chapter until Goten's BIG SECRET gets out. Well, we're not even half way done with the story yet and while I have things planned out an extra chapter or so sometimes comes up. I can say maybe about 4-5 chapters. (Hope that isn't too long!) Trust me, this moment needs a build up and it will come at the best (worst) time.
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review!
